Drive-chain.



No. 895,727.v PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

S. F. GLOUSER.

DRIVE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.11, 1907.

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ywpw MW UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFIOE.

SAMUEL F. CLOUSER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NEW YORK LINK BELTCHAIN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

Specification of Letters Paten-t.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application led September 11, 1907. Serial No. 392,350.

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. CLoUsER, a citizen of the United States,and residing at Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drive Chains, of

. which the following is a specication, such as coupled links, thecoupling links being so formed that the coupled links may beconveniently detached therefrom and other links substituted or the chainshortened or lengthened whenever desired.

The invention is .fully described in the following specification ofwhich the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate partsof my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters ineach of the views and in whichg- Figure l is a plan view of a shortsection of a drive or power chain made according to my invention. Fig. 2a side view thereof. Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a partof the chain mounted on a sprocket wheel andz-Fig. 4 a View similar toFig. l but showing a slight modification.

In the practice of my invention I provide a chain of the class specifiedcomposed of two dierent forms of links, one form of the links, for thepurpose of this description, being called coupling links, and the otherform of links being called coupled links.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown in Figs. l and 2 a part of avchain of the class specified composed of coupling links d and coupledlinks b. The coupled links b in Figs. 1 and 2 are oblong andsubstantially rectangular in form and the side portions of the couplinglinks are flat and the top or outer side portions thereof are providedwith diagonally arranged slots or openings 0,2 forming projecting pointsa3 at the opposite side of said links which overlap each other asclearly shown in Fig. 1. The endsl)2 of the coupled links b, are of suchdimensions as to permit of their being passed through the slots oropenings c2 in the coupling links a when the said coupled links l) areheld at an angle to the coupling links with the ends thereof in aposition which corresponds with the position of the said slots oropenings, and the trans verse dimensions of the end portion of thecoupled links are preferably such that the said end portions of the saidlinks can only be passed through the slots a2 when the coupled links aremoved endwise into said slots and are held diagonally and transverselyof the coupling links. In other words the endportions b2, of the coupledlinks cannot be passed through the slots a2 when the said coupled linksare held horizontally or parallel with the coupling links.

In Fig. 3 I have shown at c an ordinary power or drive wheel, on which apart of a drive chain made as shown in Figs. l and 2 is mounted, and thedrive Wheel c is provided with sprockets c2 which pass through thecoupled links b. With a chain made in this manner it is impossible forthe coupled and coupling links to become disconnected in the o erationof the chain, no matter how loose tlife chain may be, as it isimpossible to disconnect any one of the coupled links from any one ofthe coupling links without raising the coupled link and holding it at anangle to the coupling link with the end of the coupled link in line withthe slot in the coupling link and in the operation of raising thecoupled link it must also be turned laterally so that the end thereofwill be parallel with the slot in the cou ling link.

It will a so be a parent that by holdin one of the coupledp links bhorizontally anc turning it slightly to the left in the constructionshown in Fig. 4 the right hand side of said link may be dropped inthrough the transverse slot or opening a2 in the coupling link at thefront of the said coupled link, the

left hand side of the coupled link in this operation being slightlyraised, and in this way the separate arts of a chain may be connectedeven t ough there be but slight slack in the chain.

In the construction shown in Fi s. 1 to 3 inclusive half the'links arecoupling inks and the other half are coupled links, but it will beunderstood that this form of construction is not absolutely necessaryfor the reason that for the purpose of taking up slack, or forshortening or lengthening the chain it is not necessary for half thelinks of the chain to be coupling links.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modification of the form of chain shown inFigs. l and 2, but the'only dierence is in the form of theA ends ICO lio

' mately straight and at right angles to the side portions thereof.

y I am aware that drive chains of this class have heretofore been madein which coupling links Were employed having transverse slots oropenings in the outer side thereof through Which the ends of coupledlinks could be passed, but these slots were arranged at right angles tothe link and not diagonally thereof,

' and with this construction there is or Was danger of the separatelinks becoming detached or disconnected in the operation of the chain,but with my improvement this result is impossible; and With myimprovement the ends of the coupled links may be made small enough topass freely through the slots or openings a2 in the coupling links orthe end portions ofthe coupled links may be made of less transversedimensions than the slots or openings in the coupling links Without anypossibility of said links become ing detached in the operation of thechain.

In my invention, as Will be observed, the opposite side portions of thecoupling links are of considerable transverse Width7 and by reason ofthis fact the slots or openings a2, are of considerable length and theoppositely arranged points a3 overlap each other to an extent as greator greater than the transverse.

dimensions of the end portions of the coupled links and this feature ofthe construction 35 also, as will be understood, materially aids inaccomplishing the desired result.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as neT and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is z*- A drive chain composed of coupling andcoupled links, the sides of the coupling links being oblong in form incross section and one side thereof being rovided With a straightdiagonally arranged) which the end or side portions of the coupled linksmay be passed, said slot or opening formingl oppositely arranged pointson the opposite end portions of the link, which overla each other.

Lin testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signedmy name in presence of the subscribing Witnesses this 6th day ofSeptember 1907.

SAMUEL F. CLOUSER.

Witnesses:

M. E. DO ODY, C. E. MULREANY.

slot or opening through f.

